“Location, location, location.” I have often heard that those three words are paramount for any brick-and-mortar retail business. I do not dispute their importance. Location matters for garden centers, too, but I think that three other words have greater importance: “Know your customers.” Knowing your customers — where they are coming from and what kinds of […]
My Farwest Show favorites
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There are many reasons that I regularly attend the Farwest Show. One is for the social connection to others in the horticulture industry. There is camaraderie among garden people that I rarely see in other organizations, and it is hard to explain until you are part of it. I believe that social interactions are extremely […]
Where gardeners turn for answers
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Garden centers typically can offer their customers several advantages that big box stores can’t fully duplicate. One of these is the ability to provide customers with valid, localized information about the challenges they face. When I ask my neighbors, friends and other gardeners where they would go if they had a question about a problem […]
Current trends at the garden center
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It should come as no surprise to those who know me, or read this column, that I like to visit garden centers! Just walking around to look at the plants and talk with some of the personnel — whether they are salespeople, managers, owners, or customers — it is a very enjoyable time. It is […]
A genus fit for royalty
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Strange as it may seem, plants and clothes have some traits that make them parallel to one another. Clothes are fashionable. New styles appear every year, but there are always some holdovers from previous years. A parallel can be drawn here with plants. Some become more fashionable in gardens, while others fade away. Hellebores and […]
Gardeners discuss goals and plans for 2019
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With the new year upon us, I thought it would be interesting to hear what other gardeners are planning for 2019. I talked to a diverse assortment of gardeners in and around the metro area. These are not professional gardeners, but people who enjoy their garden and are always trying to make it better. There […]
Obsessive gardeners
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The first time that I saw a rose garden with umbrellas over the plants to protect them from rain, I was in disbelief! “Umbrellas keeping the rain off of rose flowers,” I thought. “That must be a very obsessive gardener.” Since that time, I have learned that it is not an uncommon obsession for rose […]
Common questions from the summer
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It probably goes without saying that it has been a long, hot summer and early fall. With record high temperatures and little or no rain, one might have expected customers to stay away from garden centers. However, this was not the case. Customers continued to shop for plants and also relied heavily on garden centers […]
Ferns … not just a fancy frond
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A friend that was recently visiting my garden commented that I had quite a few containers with ferns. Until he said it, I had not really noticed. The next day as I walked around my garden, I realized that it was true. I have been gradually adding ferns into my garden. Was this just me, or […]
Are olives viable for Oregon?
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With a column title like What I’m Hearing, I am always listening for new ideas, new plants, trends in garden centers and new plant trials. Recently in a conversation with Ann Murphy, a communications and marketing manager at Oregon State University (OSU), I learned that the OSU North Willamette Research and Extension Center in Aurora, […]
